Inkjet printing system for containment and evaporation of waste ink

Abstract

A postage meter includes a print head, a purge unit for removing waste ink from the print head, and an ink tray assembly for receiving the waste ink. The ink tray assembly includes a tray and a vapor-permeable, liquid-impermeable cover membrane across the opening of the tray.

1. A printer comprising:
 a print head; 
 a purge unit for removing ink from the print head; and 
 an ink tray assembly for receiving ink removed from the print head by the purge unit; 
 wherein the ink tray assembly includes:
 a tray having an opening; 
 an absorbent pad held in the tray under a cover membrane; 
 the cover membrane is a vapor permeable membrane sealed across the opening of the tray and formed at least in part as a bellows; and 
 a hole in the cover membrane for sealing to a port of the purge unit. 
 
 
   
   
     2. The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the absorbent pad has a channel therein positioned in alignment with the hole in the cover membrane. 
   
   
     3. The printer according to  claim 2 , wherein the tray includes a post extending upwardly from a floor of the tray and engaged by the channel in the absorbent pad. 
   
   
     4. The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover membrane includes at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene. 
   
   
     5. The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover membrane is of a material adapted to allow vapor to evaporate through the material and to substantially prevent waste ink from passing through the material. 
   
   
     6. The printer according to  claim 5 , wherein the material includes at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene. 
   
   
     7. A printer comprising:
 a print head; 
 a purge unit for removing ink from the print head; and 
 an ink tray assembly for receiving ink removed from the print head by the purge unit; 
 wherein the ink tray assembly includes:
 a tray; and 
 barrier means, bonded to a rim of the tray, for substantially preventing waste ink from exiting the tray upon an upside-down orientation of the tray, wherein the barrier means includes a membrane that substantially closes an opening of the tray and wherein the membrane is formed at least in part as a bellows. 
 
 
   
   
     8. The printer according to  claim 7 , wherein the ink tray assembly also includes:
 an absorbent pad held in the tray under the membrane. 
 
   
   
     9. The printer according to  claim 8 , further comprising a hole in the membrane for sealing to a port of the purge unit. 
   
   
     10. The printer according to  claim 9 , wherein the absorbent pad has a channel therein positioned in alignment with the hole in the membrane. 
   
   
     11. The printer according to  claim 10 , wherein the tray includes a post extending upwardly from a floor of the tray and engaged by the channel in the absorbent pad. 
   
   
     12. The printer according to  claim 7 , wherein the membrane includes at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene. 
   
   
     13. The printer according to  claim 7 , wherein the barrier means includes a material adapted to allow vapor to evaporate through the material. 
   
   
     14. A waste ink tray assembly for use in a printer, the assembly comprising:
 a tray; 
 an absorbent pad held in the tray; and 
 barrier means, bonded to a rim of the tray, for substantially preventing waste ink from exiting the tray upon an upside-down orientation of the tray, wherein the barrier means includes a membrane that substantially closes an opening of the tray and wherein the membrane is formed at least in part as a bellows. 
 
   
   
     15. The waste ink tray assembly according to  claim 14 , further comprising a hole in the membrane for sealing to a port of a waste ink purge unit. 
   
   
     16. The waste ink tray assembly according to  claim 15 , wherein the absorbent pad has a channel therein positioned in alignment with the hole in the membrane. 
   
   
     17. The waste ink tray assembly according to  claim 16 , wherein the tray includes a post extending upwardly from a floor of the tray and engaged by the channel in the absorbent pad. 
   
   
     18. The waste ink tray assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the membrane includes at least one of polypropylene and polyethylene. 
   
   
     19. The waste ink tray assembly according to  claim 14 , wherein the barrier means includes a material adapted to allow vapor to evaporate through the material.